By COLlive reporter
Photos by Hershel Weberman
With Lag BaOmer events and Shavous behind them, and before summer camps begin, close to 50 Shluchim spent an inspiring Shabbos together in Phoenix.
The annual “Western Regional Conference of Shluchim” was hosted this year by Arizona’s Head Shliach Rabbi Zalman Levertov and his wife Tzipi Levertov, in coordination with Merkos L’inyonei Chinuch.
“The Regional Kinusim were very dear to the Rebbe in the spirit of Ish Es Achiv Ya’azoru,” said Rabbi Levertov as he welcomed the Shluchim this past Friday as his center on East Lincoln Dr.
This regional Kinus is held for the states of Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
The guest speaker of the Kinus was Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, Vice Chairman of Merkos and organizer of the International Kinus Hashluchim and the regional conventions.
He shared with the Shluchim and members of the Phoenix Jewish community stories of his recent travels, including one of an 80-year-old Ukrainian Jew who celebrated his Bar Mitzvah for the first time.
Over Shabbos, each of the participating Shluchim were asked to share a Dvar Torah or an uplifting story which they heard or even experienced – and there were plenty to go around.
Minnesota’s Head Shliach Rabbi Moshe Feller, for example, told of conversations he had at Ground Zero in New York City with victims of the terror attacks on September 11, 2001.
“How much greater is the power of good over the power of evil. Look what 19 vile and evil creatures did to the world in the period of an hour? We have to promote G-d consciousness,” he recalled.
He called on participants to remember to mention G-d in daily conversations. When someone tells him he’s having a wonderful day, “I always intercede and say ‘Thank G-d. Right?’ and they say, ‘Oh, yes, thank G-d’.”
VIDEO:
The Kinus began with a tour of the new 15,000-square-foot Mediterranean-influenced structure of Pollack Chabad Center for Jewish Life in Chandler, directed by Shluchim Rabbi Mendy and Shternie Deitsch.
Following davening, the Shabbos meals continued for hours as Chassidic farbrengens, with some Shluchos and Shluchim’s children from the area attending as well.
A large Maleva Malka meal included remarks by Rabbi David Rebibo, President of the Orthodox Rabbinical Council of Greater Phoenix, following which the Shluchim stood for a group photo and danced farewell to their colleagues – until next time.
Adina!
go tzvi and shmuel!!!!
Yasher koach to both Rabbi Fellers! Amazing!
There’s no fella like Rabbi Feller!!
Sincere,emesdik-the way it should be.I remember Rabbi Feller taking out the trash in Lub House-NO EGO!if we’d all be like him,Moshiach would’ve been here.
On eof the most pimiyusdigeh & sincerest Shliach!
keep it up!
!!